Covering all the Music You Didn't Know About Since '96

Young Livers evokes post-hardcore gritty dank guitars that drop bombs similar to seminal outfit Drive Like Jehu. “Of Misery and Toil” burns no bridges as they embark upon a steady diet of breakdowns, odd song structures, and tinkering with what we’ve all come to expect from post-indie rock outfits. Mid-range rhythms with some blasts of devastation that are few and far between remind me of a Far that doesn’t deploy a melodic singer (think Hot Water Music) and nods firmly in the direction of punk rock. Each song evokes an immediate attention span quadrant that scans the horizon looking for something better but comes up empty. I swear they are a few decades removed from the DC hardcore scene.

Lesson 1 for those of you in unsigned bands hoping to get review coverage and notice in the music industry – first impressions are key. And no I’m not just talking about the fact that the first 30 seconds of your first song should be killer (that’s a no brainer folks) but it’s the little things, like the look-n-feel of your packaging. Some bands subscribe to the notion that they should put airplane size bottles of booze in there (awesome and much appreciated, keep ‘em coming!), others have cute 8×10 press cuts (yawn, please no more brick wall photos, thanks!), and then the inventive take it from the very first look – what and how you pack your music that’s sent via the mail. Get Laid nailed it – excuse the pun. Not only did they use Simpsons stamps, which is universally noted as ‘awesome’ but they put their vinyl in a decorated package. Going that extra mile means the world and shows that you really REALLY want folks to open it up to see what surprises lay inside. “Pretty Weathered” is a female-fronted proto-punk, spazz, and crusty indie rock outfit that deploys intriguing stop-and-go guitar chugs while firmly nodding to their hardcore brethren. “Decca A.D.” is oddly a B-side but could be their lead track. Easily mistaken for D.C. era post-hardcore and dare I say, emocore, Get Laid is one up-and-comer that everyone worth their salt in the music biz and Regular Joes who just want to be in the know for the next best band. Love it.

Polish emo? You bet, and Keira Is You is in the vein of true emo, ala The Appleseed Cast, Engine Down, and perhaps even a little Sunny Day Real Estate. “Nothing Else Will Happen” casts its net far and wide with powerfully experimental nuances like children’s choirs, elements of New Wave, cello, and synthesizers. Indie rock should be a little challenging, now shouldn’t it?

Watch this video for “Madness”:

I can’t believe more people aren’t gushing and obsessing about Prize Country. “With Love” is a fantastic journey across the myriad of DC hardcore via their hometown of Portland, Oregon with firm nods towards the late great Quicksand. We should all band together and make this band a huge success so that guitarist Jacob Depolitte doesn’t have to drive a cab for a living anymore (unless of course he wants to do it as a side hobby). With artwork done by renowned Philly poster artist, Mike Wohlberg, “With Love” is the total package. Riff heavy guitar-centric post-hardcore that boasts bass-heavy glides and sleekly dirty production and engineering efforts that was polished perfectly by recording engineer and producer Stephen Hawkes. Songs like “Gamble” and “It Was a Night Just Like Tonight” will make you forget your deep seeded resentment towards the demise of groups like Quicksand and Snapcase. This is one of the most essential albums this year, taking Fugazi to task with their intrepid backdrop of caustic guitar chords and surging melodic vocal yells.

No it’s not the Hanson Brothers as you adoringly know them. Or hopefully woefully scorn. This is the punk version. Canadian brand punk/hardcore rock that exists well outside of even the mainstream underground scene. It’s a shame that it totally blows ass chunks and is not worth even a drunken listen let alone a sober one. Yawn city.

Good grief this thrashy hardcore outfit known as Destruct-a-Thon is totally killer. “Aloha Jihad” is a quick EP featuring two brand-new tracks, a cover, and a couple of bonus tracks. The title track is a big ‘fuck you’ to the Bush administration performed against the backdrop of fast hardcore punk with a firm nod to power violence. Covering Bravado’s “Heart Attack” shows how fucking badass this group truly is. And how can you go wrong with the 17-second voice mail blister “Jet Metal Voice Text”? The ‘radio edit’ of the title track is just as boisterous as the original. This is thrashtastic!

Yes there is still a punk scene emanating out of England. Yes Rudimentary Peni is one such band. And while some miscreants were declaring the group dead since ‘04’s “Archaic” EP, they weren’t. In fact, “No More Pain” shows just how alive and kicking the group is. With simple-line drawing artwork that is so much more than that at closer glance designed by Nick Blinco (cult punk hero), Rudimentary Peni gouges out eyeballs straight from their sockets only to skull fuck the remains with their unique brand of late ‘70s punk-metal. No one will ever accuse these punk heroes of being anything more than latch-key urban punks who want a little anarchy for brunch to alleviate the hangover blues.

Having been lauded by Alternative Press as one of the “100 Bands You Need to Know in 2008”, Ceremony is one of the most critically applauded fast-paced aggressive acts out there. Loud and abrasive un-melodic hooks engage the listener with fierce punk attitude ladled into a blazing fire pit of hardcore and adrenaline. Formed in 2005, Ceremony worked their tails off in the Bay Area punk scene finally reaching some notoriety with their bastion of a CD EP entitled “Violence Violence” which was dubbed an instant hardcore classic. Named in honor of Ian Curtis, Ceremony is a band you can’t miss out on if you consider yourself a true fan of anything hardcore or punk.

Indie dancey punk gouges out eyeballs amid guy and girl vocals that explode with intensity. Energetic hooks with fantastic synth and frenetic guitar stabs are just part of the assault off of Johnny Foreigner’s debut album finally available stateside. Hailing from Birmingham U.K., the trio has been making waves among indie circles in the know. Chaotic choruses that are true barn burners have hoisted this group to the forefront of critical praise lately. Recorded with Machine (Fall Out Boy, Armor For Sleep), “Waited Up ‘Til It Was Light” is out in October on Nettwerk Records. Check it out.

Oh wow this is some pretty hideous singing. While I am an admitted hater of the garage rock sound, I have been doing this long enough to spot talent. The May Fire has very few chops, very little creativity, and yawns their way into each chorus. Singer Catty Tasso is a breathy singer who wants to conjure Kim Deal real bad (nothing on “The List” would even be a b-side of the lesser Deal twin’s Breeders, let alone anything the mighty Pixies did), but falls real damn short. The best part of this album, which is the final part of a trilogy of self-released EPs, is that it ends after twenty some aggravating minutes. Leaves a bad taste in your mouth because despite its raunchiness it can create an ear worm or two. Boo!